This book was ridiculous. Written as what I'll generously call an homage to Dan Brown, it contains most of the same kinds of themes - a search for Jesus with a shadowy religious sect bent on stopping that search. There's shootouts and chase scenes, bombings and plane crashes. People should have been dead multiple times throughout the book, but miraculously survive. The mystery is of course revealed by the very smart female professor found early in the book deep in the jungles of Ecuador. There's a complete lack of verisimilitude throughout the book, but it's entertaining in the way that b movie thrillers can be. The action never stops, the sheer audacity of the clues and schemes is appealing in its absurdity. I found myself thinking "Oh, come on!" many times, but kept turning the pages. There's a lack of attention to Jewish custom, ancient burial practices, military practice, or simple physics - you have to suspend any and all disbelief to read this(and ignore a few too many editing errors), but the author does weave a readable pulp thriller. I read it because I liked the warning - "WARNING: Please be advised that this is a controversial work of revisionist historical fiction, and could offend some readers."The controversy concerns Jesus' crucifixion. (Spoiler: It was Judas, not Jesus). The story involves an archaeologist who is being protected by a small US Special Forces group while she chases around Europe trying to find the remains of Jesus. The story starts in Paris where a suicide bomber exposes a burial site near the Eiffel Tower. Among the skeletons are the bones of John the Baptist. Writing on his bones leads Rebecca, the archaeologist, to Budapest where she finds the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. Writing on James' bones leads her Istanbul and the Blue Mosque where she finds the bones of Mary Magdelena in another underground chamber which in turn leads to the bones of Mary the Mother of Jesus on an island in the Sea of Marmara. Finally, they are able to sneak into an underground chamber under the Pope's residence at the Vatican where they find the last set of bones. I'll refrain from telling whose bones those are because I've already put in a spoiler.
What do You think about 30 Pieces Of Silver (2010)?
Interesting perspective on why Christ died. Not the traditional stories.
—Ricky
Pretty far-fetched but I'm a creative thinker.
—Supamastaman
